Are custom cabinets much more expensive than the “Big Box Stores” stock cabinets?

That’s a difficult question to answer.  Prices can vary dramatically based on the complexity of the design, size of the project, materials, finish, and hardware used.

What types of wood do you use?

We have a wide range of woods available from our suppliers. The most common woods used are Maple, Oak, Cherry, Beech, Hickory, Mahogany, Walnut and paint grade, but there are many other species of wood to choose from.

What design choices do I have?

Design choices can only be limited by your budget, space, or imagination.  If necessary, we go to great lengths to find cost effective alternatives to get the look you want without exceeding your budget. For example a cherry kitchen that is stained very dark may be out of your budget because of the high cost of the cherry materials, but there are much less expensive woods available that when stained very dark, look every bit as beautiful and are just as structurally sound as the cherry, at about one third the cost in materials.  So, the moral of the story is: never be afraid to ask for exactly what you want, it may be more attainable than you thought.

What type stain and finish do you use?

We actually use Transfast aniline dyes as an alternative to stains.  Dyes contain a much higher concentration of color than stains and give a more consistent appearance.  We custom mix all dyes, so there are infinite color choices available.  For finishing, we use M.L. Campbell, Agualente, water-base lacquer, which was developed in California to meet the highest environmental and durability standards, in the country. Specialty finishing techniques can also be applied to your cabinets, such as distressing, crackling and tinting. Other brands of finishes can be applied upon request.